Tensioning device



April 10, 1934-- E. SNYDER ET AL 1,954,499

TENSIONING DEVICE Filed June 13, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 K y will Z5 Z7 Z726' f0 19 INVENTORS W M Q, f1 BY%ATTORNE\ Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE TENSIONING DEVICE Edward Snyder and George W.Kierspe, Fort Wayne, 1nd,, assignors to General Cable Corporatlon, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of This invention relates to tensioningmechanisms for use on coil winding machines of the type in whichdifferent sizes of wires are employed in winding different parts of agiven coil,

although it will be apparent that certain features of the invention areequally useful on other types of Winding machines. In devices of thistype,

a separate tensioning means is employed for applying the proper tensionto each individual wire 1 as it is wound on an'associated mandrel. It issometimes desirable to release the tension on one or more of the wiresto permit the operator to pull or manipulate them by hand without undueeffort as, for examplain starting a given coil, and an object of thisinvention is to provide a gang tension device constructed and arrangedto permit the simultaneous release of the individual strands from thetensioning elfect thereof.

A further object is to provide generally an improved tension device forwinding machines.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in thisparticular art are accomplished by the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a tensioning device constructed inaccordance with one embodiment of this invention, and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

As illustrated in the drawings, the present in vention is shown in theform of a gang tension device having a plurality of separate tensioningmechanisms or units, each adapted to tension one of a number ofindividual strands or wires which are being supplied to the associatedmachine to wind suitable coils in the usual manner. Each tensioning unitis individually adjustable to vary the tension applied to the associatedWire: In starting a coil, or in changing the wire in forming differentsections of a given coil, it

is necessary for the operator to pull or manipulate one or more of thewires which are tensioned by the tension device. To overcome thedifficulty of manipulating such wires when they are under tension, andto reduce the strain upon the operator, the device is provided with asimple mechanism for simultaneously relieving all of the wires from thetensioning effect of the various units.

In the drawings, the present invention includes x5 a supporting member 5for supporting a plurality of tensioning units each of which is arrangedto apply an adjustable tension to one of a number of wire strands. Eachunit includes a supporting shaft 6 extending through the supporting .165member 5 and longitudinally movable therein.

Each shaft is provided with a collar '7 at one end engaging the outerface of a Wire engaging and tensioning pulley 8 rotatably supported uponthe shaft adjacent a friction disc 9 having a friction face 10 of anysuitable material adapted to engage the adjacent face of the pulley 8,the friction disc or member 9 being suitably mounted upon the supportingpanel 5. On the opposite side of the panel, a helical spring 11surrounds each shaft 6 between the adjacent face of the supporting paneland an adjustable spring compressing nut 12 threaded to the outer end ofthe shaft. It will be apparent that the degree of pressure with whichthe flange 7 presses the tensioning pulley 8 against the friction face10 can be varied by suitable adjustment of the nut 12 to vary the degreeof compression applied to the spring 11. Obviously, pressing the pulleyagainst the friction face 10 causes the pulley to tension the associatedstrand 13 as it is drawn around the pulley from an associated supplyspool 14 mounted on supported frame members 15 or the like. Afterpassing around the tensioning pulleys 8 the wire passes to the usualwinding arbor or other mechanism.

The present invention contemplates a device for simultaneously releasingeach of the tensioning pulleys 8 from the pressure of the associatedflanges 7 so as to permit free rotation of the pulleys on the supportingshafts and thus relieve the strands of any tensioning effect. Asillustrated, a shaft shifting wedge 16 islocated at the lower end of awedge-supporting plunger 17 slidably mounted in the upper end of thesupporting panel 5 and positioned so that the wedge co-operates with aslot 18 formed in the associated shaft 6 so that downward movement ofthe plunger 17 causes the pulley supporting shaft 6 to be shiftedagainst the pressure of the associated spring 11 and relieve the pulleyfrom the pressure on the friction face 10. The individual plungers 17are each connected to a gang bar 19 located above the supporting paneland connected to a single operating bar 20 extending downwardly throughthe panel below the bed 2151 to an operating lever 22 pivoted at one endto a supporting bracket 23 and at the other connected by a link 24 to afoot pedal 25 accessible to the operator so that pressure upon the footpedal 25 causes the gang bar 19 to force each wedge 1601 downwardly andshifts the pulley-supporting shafts 6 to relieve the associated strandsfrom the tensioning effect of the individual units. A helical spring 26surrounds the operating bar 20 between the top of the panel 5 and thegang bar 19;:1

to normally maintain the wedges in the inoperative position shown inFig. 2.

The operation of the device will be apparent. The individual strands 13are led downwardly around the proper tensioning units and the latter areadjusted to provide the desired degree of tension on the variousstrands, which tension may vary if desired. When the operator wishes tomanipulate one or more of the strands free of tension, it is onlynecessary to depress the foot pedal 25 whereupon all of the strandssimultaneously will be freed from the tensioning effect of the variousunits.

If desired, a wheel 27 can be yieldingly supported upon a spring pressedbar or lever 28 pivoted to the supporting panel and positioned so as tobear upon the wire to keep it from springing out of the groove in theassociated friction pulley. Only one of such devices is shown in thedrawings, for clarity of illustration, but each of the pulleys may beprovided with such a wheel if desired.

We claim as our invention:

1. The combination in a device for tensioning a plurality of separatestrands, of a plurality of independent strand tensioning units forseparately applying tension to each of said strands, means forindividually adjusting each of said tensioning units, and means forsimultaneously releasing all of said strands from the tensioning effectof said units.

2. The combination in a device for tensioning a plurality of separatestrands, of a plurality of independent strand tensioning units forseparately applying tension to each of said strands,

means for individually controlling the tensioning effect of each of saidunits, and means for simultaneously releasing all of said strands fromthe tensioning effect of said units.

3. The combination in a device for tensioning a plurality of separatestrands, of a plurality of independent strand tensioning units, eachincluding pulleys for applying tension to an associated strand, meansfor frictionally resisting rotation of said pulley to tension theassociated strand, means for individually adjusting each of saidtensioning units, and means for simultaneously releasing each of saidpulleys from said friction means.

4. The combination in a device for tensioning a plurality of separatestrands, of a plurality of separate pulleys over which said strands aredrawn, means for applying a yielding resistance to the rotation of saidpulleys so as to tension said strands, means for individuallycontrolling the resistance to rotation of said pulleys, and means forsimultaneously freeing said pulleys from said resistance.

5. A wire tensioning device having in combination a support, a pluralityof laterally movable pulleys, friction surfaces associated with saidpulleys, means for pressing said pulleys against said friction surfaces,means for individually controlling the pressure between said pulleys andsaid friction surfaces, and a manually operable release for separatingsaid pulleys and said friction surfaces.

6. A wire tensioning device having in combination a supporting panel,longitudinally movable shafts supported in said panel, pulleys rotatablymounted on said shafts, friction surfaces mounted on said supportingpanel adjacent said pulleys, adjustable means associated with each ofsaid shafts for pressing the associated pulley against a frictionsurface so as to yieldingly re sist rotation thereof, and manuallyoperable means for simultaneously shifting all of said shafts to releasesaid pulleys from engagement with said friction surfaces.

7. A tensioning device having in combination a plurality oflongitudinally movable slotted shafts, tensioning pulleys rotatablysupported on said shafts, friction surfaces associated with each of saidpulleys, and adjustable spring mechanism associated with each of saidshafts for pressing said pulleys and surfaces together to resistrotation of said pulleys, means engaging the slot in each of said shaftsfor moving said shafts so as K to release said pulleys from saidfriction sur faces and a single operating mechanism for actuating saidmeans.

8. A tension device having in combination a support, a plurality oflongitudinally movable slotted shafts, strand tensioning pulleysrotatably supported on said shafts, friction surfaces, adjustable springmeans on each shaft for pressing the associated pulley against afriction surface, plungers slidably mounted in said support andco-operating with said slots to move said shafts longitudinally and freesaid pulleys from said surfaces, and means for simultaneously actuatingsaid plungers.

9. A tension device having in combination a support, a plurality oflongitudinally movable slotted shafts, strand tensioning pulleysrotatably supported on said shafts, friction surfaces, adjustable springmeans on each shaft for pressing the associated pulley against afriction surface, plungers slidably mounted in said support andco-operating with said slots to move said shafts longitudinally and freesaid pulleys from said surfaces, a gang bar connected to each of saidplungers, and manually operable means for shifting said gang bar tosimultaneously actuate said plungers,

EDWARD SNYDER. GEORGE W. KIERSPE.

